Abby Here and Doing Well!

Hey!

Well Abby arrived very early on Sunday morning safe and sound! She came off the trailer a little unsteady which is to be expected since she'd been in there almost all night. It was freezing cold when I arrived before 6 to wait for her. The grass was covered in frost and the water trough was covered in ice. I half slept, half waited very anxiously for her to arrive. Abby stepped off the trailer a little before 8. I slipped off the halter she arrived in and put on the black one I had for her. It was a special moment to realize she was actually my horse.



She was a little pushy on the ground at first as she first looked around. We walked for awhile to let her stretch her legs then put her in one of our stalls to settle in. With some hay, water and pony (who was totally in love) she settled in nicely and seemed to be happy that she could walk around in the stall (its big 14x14 with really tall ceilings. We went home and waited for it to warm up some then came back later in the afternoon. After grooming and blanketing we turned her loose with our two calm geldings then let Jazz out. No one seemed to mind the new addition. She trotted around the pasture some and she has THE most gorgeous trot I've seen. She's everything I hoped for and more.



Today was her second day at the barn. I groomed everyone then tacked Jazz up. We had a FANTASTIC dressage ride. We've added counter flexion, lots of spirals and TONS of transitions to our schooling. Plus I make up at least one different exercise in each ride so he always has a new challenge but we always in on the same thing: trot figure-8s. They were the first things he learned and is fairly good at them so I like to end on them. After I tacked Abby up to longe her. She stood perfectly in the cross ties as long as a stayed within sight of her which is big since when I bought her (sight unseen!) the owner said that was her only vice. She seemed to know what a longe line/longing were but as it got darker her thoroughbred ADD got the better of her so we quit with some parallel longing at the walk. Then groomed Jazz and Abby, fed and put blankets back on for the night. Overall a very good day!


And I think I'm going to get on and ride her some tomorrow!!

Katie <3

Abby's on the Way!

Hey!

Abby left her temporary home at Legacy Farm late last night (around 10). She is being hauled to my barn by Tapp's Horse Transportation and should be here very early Sunday morning. I'm so excited that she's on the way! For anyone looking to adopt a horse, I would DEFINITELY recommend New Vocations, Maker's Mark Secretariat Center, Tapp's Horse Transportation and several other private parties. They were awesome through the whole experience!

Miss Abby

Hey!

As I said in my last post, this was seriously the best Christmas ever. And a large part way was due to getting the best gift ever. That I got for myself :)) I paid for it and am currently in the process of paying my mother back for the rather large shipping fee. But it's perfectly fine with me. Because it is actually a she. And she, is a 10 year old, 16hh off the track thoroughbred. Her history post 5 months ago isn't known because she was being starved in a field with another horse. After that lovelyyy ordeal, she ended up with the best owner a horse in that situation could wish for. She's now happy and healthy with over 200 lbs gained since being rescued.



I've yet to meet her but she apparently has a sweet temperament and no vices. Except disliking cross ties. But since we don't have cross ties in my barn it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, Jazz use to dislike them too. She vets pretty clean too. No health problems with the rescue and no lameness.

I'm hoping she'll be my next jumper with some work. She's got a big jump and a stride that I loveeee. Hopefully some dressage, grid work and more schooling will get her to slow down, balance up and snap those knees up! This is her video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUx8hdmZrok

She should be hear in the first week or so of January and I'll have TONS more pictures and video of her. I can't wait!

<3 Katie

p.s. We decided her show name would be Never Say Never. I think it fits.

Christmas!

Hey!

I had an absolute awesome Christmas this year! My family is awesome and I love them to pieces! We had an awesome dinner at my grandmothers that was absolutely hilarious. My grandmother gave each of my brothers $25 and practically duct taped the boxes shut. They were wrestling to open them for nearly 5 minutes.



My full brother, Matt, and I went to my dads house to open gifts on Christmas day and I got the best horse stuff! A Micklem bridle, 2 bits (one a Fulmer!), a horse cooler, 3 training books (101 Dressage Exercises, 101 Jumping Exercises and a book of using grid work), new breeches, shorter round spurs, white polo wraps and 2 new schooling pads (one light blue and one black) ! And my favorite thing, a college text book of equine anatomy! I found all of it on sale(expect the bridle and anatomy book... but I reallyreally wanted them).

I can't wait to get everything out to the barn and use it all! Except the white polo wraps... those are not getting any where near a horse until I do something important that involves dressage... like a rating or anywhere I probably shouldn't wear my rather used and abused brushing boots. They might be old and too small but they serve their purpose and I like them. :))

Anyway, Jazz is doing awesome. Getting fat and kind of hot since the rain makes consistent, hard riding impossible. We're playing with his grain and supplements to create a diet that holds the weight but less hyper. The old boys Largo and Duce/Dunkin are doing well also. They're both on a supplement to try to keep them feeling good. The cold slows 'em up a bit but the supplements seem to help. And new news about horses coming and going! Can't wait to write about it but got to go for now!

Merry Christmas!

Weird Weather

So the weather has been beyond crazy here. On Saturday there was a high of 50 and it was miserable out. Rain and wet mostly. But I caught a break in the rain and went out to the barn for a bit. I ride Togiferd (Togey) barebark with a surcingle for the first time. He was HIGHLY confused at first, especially when I vaulted on, but he lived and we ended up having a pretty nice ride. There was a little bit of fast cantering aka IDONTWANNASTOP! from him but that was no doubt to to me trying to hold on and say stop with my seat (not hands!) at the same time. After we just chilled out in the barn for a really long time. He probably munched through 2 scoops of alfalfa cubes and 2 lbs of the apple treats.

On Sunday it was 70 degrees! I rode Jazz in just a tank top and jeans. He was beyond amazing! The improvement in his gaits is incredible!! We've been doing a lot of exercises that trainers have suggested and it seems to be paying off. He's got much better lateral flexibility as well as swing/the beginnings of impulsion in his gaits. Its so much fun to ride him on the flat now because he feels sooo good. At this point I like doing dressage with him more than jumping! crazy! We still have a lot of work to do, especially on our transitions but that will come eventually.

We ended up not going to Clemson for a variety of reasons but its all good. Jazzy and I have a clinic with one of the best show jumping course designers in the country, who is also an AMAZING coach next weekend so I'm really excited. We are signed up for the 3'3"-3'6" ground. Hoping that goes well!

<3 Katie

Really Long Time, No Post

Hey so a quick re-cap of whats been going on in my world....

1. I went for and passed my H-B rating for United States Pony Club, thus becoming a full fledged C-3 Traditional.
I'm looking at taking my C-3 Show Jumping Specialty around March to hopefully become the 6th rider with that specialty in the United States. I have received very good comments about my ability to pass this rating from National Examiners so I'm feeling pretty excited already! The C-3 Show Jumping is done at Level II and III show jumping heights.
I'm also looking into going for my B Traditional in September. I am almost positive I will fail at that rating because so many examiners refuse to pass young candidates and refuse to pass people on their first time through the test. It will be a good learning experience and while I plan to be a prepared as I can be, I am also going to be realistic. The B Traditional is based on Preliminary level eventing.

2. Jazz has been doing AMAZINGLY well with his dressage training despite the fact that I have only had one lesson (a jumping one!) since August. I've learned a TON off the internet and by watching/listening to much better dressage riders verbalize what they are doing on their horses. Jazz has fantastic relaxation, rhythm, contact and the beginnings of true, good impulsion at the walk and trot with it really developing at the canter. Some days are better than others but on our good days we have a lovely extended trot, stretchy trot, free walk, medium trot, 20/15/10 meter circles and a very nice balanced canter. At this point the fact that our canter is not perfect is not bothering me. I found this quote "Walk for muscle, Trot for balance and canter for wind". It was more directed at conditioning training but I use dressage to make a better jumper so I feel it connects to us. The walk and trot give us muscle and balance. The canter, as long as it is freely forward, balanced and rhythmical, is just fine for jumping around a course.

3. The big chestnut Dutch Warmblood, Togey, is now living at my barn! He had a bit of a rough settling in period but now that everyone is use to the addition, he is AWESOME to have around. The woman that lives on the property and feeds in the morning has always dreamed of having a 17 hh Chestnut Hanoverian and Togey is just close enough to her dream that she has totally fallen in love (after a brief period of being scared of the new big, somewhat wild-ish horse). He's buddied up with my old pony Largo who Jazz continuously tries to beat up and together they hang out becoming best friends.
The first few days of riding Togey were rough with him throwing me the first two times I rode then trying really really hard to throw me the third day (I ended up holding onto the check pieces, mane and reins with my legs wrapped around his neck.. BUT I STAYED ON!). Yesterday we had a super good workout with him quietly jumping 2'6" WITHOUT rushing or bucking and WITH flying changes so he can STAYYY! (well until the show in the 12th/13th then we will have to re-evaluate). I'm really excited to see what we can do together.

4. This isnt a re-cap but on the 12th and 13th, Jazz, Togey and I are going to a schooling show to hang out with friends, show some new heights and generally have some fun. At this point I am either doing Training or Prelim CT, High Jumpers and High Gamblers Choice with Jazz. And with Togey I am looking into doing the High Hunter/Eq division and some flat classes. Depending on how the next couple weeks with him go we might make some adjustments to that.

Anyway, I'll post some more later!

Five Favorite Photos

So I accidentally deleted the post about champs... oops...

Anyway, I've been super busy lately so I decided to just post my 5 favorite horse pictures. They're of me and the horses I ride or have ridden.

Jazz. USPC Championships.


Jazz. Schooling grids at home.


Togey. Lesson with Kevin.


Jazz. Schooling 4' for the first time.


Largo. Just hanging out being retired.